A Close Call | 1929 | Animated, Comedy

Title: A Close Call | 1929 | Animated, Comedy Studio: The Van Beuren Corporation Release Date: December 22, 1929. Runtime: 7 Format: Black-and-white; 35mm; RCA Photophone sound-on-film. Country: United States Language: English Genres: Animation, Comedy, Short --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Opening dance 00:01:05 The cat’s abduction 00:03:00 Barn pursuit 00:04:50 Sawmill danger 00:06:20 Rescue and wedding --- Summary: Milton Mouse and his sweetheart Rita enjoy a dance before a predatory cat abducts her in an automobile. Milton gives chase to a rural hideout, where the villain attempts to woo Rita with pearls. Rebuffed, the cat captures Milton and straps him to a log headed for a buzzing saw. Police surround the building, the cat is felled in the ensuing raid, and Milton is rescued just in time. A wedding follows, capped by a comical “tying the knot” gag as the mice’s tails are knotted together. --- Background: Produced during the transition to sound as part of Aesop’s Sound Fables, the short reflects Van Beuren’s early adoption of synchronized audio. It features Milton Mouse and Rita, whose redesigned, Mickey-like appearances were introduced around this time and became emblematic of the studio’s 1929–1930 output. --- Trivia: Although part of Aesop’s Sound Fables, the short is not adapted from a specific Aesop tale; its closing title humorously misattributes “All’s well that ends well” to Aesop. Music synchronization is credited to conductor Carl Edouarde, a veteran of early sound work. Survival status is positive: reduction prints exist, and the cartoon circulates widely today. The short is a showcase for the Milton-and-Rita redesign that closely echoed Disney’s mice; by 1931, legal pressure curtailed further use of such lookalike designs. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: December 22, 1929. Original Studio / Distributor: The Van Beuren Corporation / Pathé Exchange. Copyright Status: Public Domain. Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: ACloseCall 1929 PublicDomain AesopsFables VanBeuren Animation ClassicCartoon Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Close_Call_(1929).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/A_Close_Call_%281929%29.webm